Loading apparatus.



Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.m M M HENRY BLOQMEK' H BLOOMER LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION men Aue.4. 19w.

H. B'LOOMER.

LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGA. 1912.

1 ,'246,856. Patented'Nov. 20, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- YO as HENRY BLOWE HENRY BLOOMER, OF HULL, WISCONSIN.

LOADING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented N 20 1 917,

' Application filed August 4., 1917. Serial No. 184,526.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BLOOMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hull, in the county of Marathon and State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loading Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 7

This invention relates to certain improvements in loading apparatus and has relation more particularly to a device of this gen eral character especially designed and adapted for use in connection with hay or the like and it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus of this general character adapted to be employed in connection with a hay rack or the like and which serves to deposit the hay to the forward end portion of the rack and which includes a conveyer movable to the forward portion of the rack in order to facilitate loading at the rear portion of the rack.

The invention also has for an object to provide a novel and improved apparatus of this general character including a conveyer positioned adjacent the upper portion of the hay rack or the like and movable longitudinally thereof together with means for imparting movement to the conveyer in opposite directions.

7 Furthermore it is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this general character wherein the conveyer includes an endless apron and wherein said apron is operatively engaged with a driving means when the conveyer is at the limit of its movement in one direction.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved loading apparatus wherein certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantaeous for use, as will be hereinafter more ully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating an apparatus constructed in accord- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in side elei vation of the upper rear portion of the devlce as herein embodied, and opposite to the disclosure in Fig. lgand taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig.1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings H denotes a hay rack having disposed longitudinally thereof and extending outwardly from a side a footboard B to afford means whereby an operator may have convenient access to the upper portion of the rack. Each side of the rack H at its top is provided with a horizontal trackway T afforded by the verticallylspaced parallel beams 1 and slidably engaged within each of the tra'ckways T is a pair of longitudinally spaced bearings 2 connected by a side board 3. Rotatably supported by each pair of transversely alined bearings 2 is a shaft 4 having suitably fixed thereto the drums 5.

Disposed around the drums 5 is an endless conveyer 6. In practice it is preferred that the side boards 3 be of a length not over and preferably less than one half the length of the rack H sothat when the conveyer 6 is positioned adjacent the rear portion of the rack H the hay or the like deposited upon the-conveyer maybe delivered to the forward end portion of the rack H.

' The rear shaft 4 has suitably affixed to an extended portion thereof a gear wheel 7 in mesh with an idle gear 8 rotatably supported by an adjacent beam 1 and the gear 8 is in mesh with a gear 9 carried by an extended portion of a shaft 10 extending transversely of and rotatably supported by the rear portion of the rack H. The shaft 10 has also fixed thereto a sprocket wheel- 11 around which is disposed the sprocket '65 Fig. 5 1s a fragmentary sectional view the suitable opening 15 through which the chain 12 passes.

Fixed to the shaft 10 intermediate the sides of the rack H is a drum 16 around which passes an endless apron 17 which is also disposed around the drum 18 fixed to the shaft 19 rotatably supported by the upper beams 1 at a predetermined point in advance of the shaft 10 so that the apron 17 is arranged on a predetermined upward incline and serves as an elevator to properly discharge the hay or the like upon the up per stretch of the conveyerfi when said conveyer is operatively engaged with the idle gear 8. In practice any preferred type of hay loader is adapted, to be hitched to the rear portion of the rack H and adjusted to deliverupon the elevating apron 17;.as the hay loader pensaforms no part of my present invention, a description and-illustration thereof is believed to be unnecessary.

The forward end portion of each of the side boards 3 is provided with anunstanding extension 20 having secured thereto, at 21 a fiexible member .22 which extends'for- ,wardly of the rack H and is opera'tively engaged with a drum 23 fixed to the transverse-shaft 2 L rotatably supported by the forward end portion of the rack H and preferably the upper. beams 1.. The .end portion of the shaft 2a adjacent the board B is provided exteriorly of the rack withv an operating crank 25. Also secured .to the extended portion of the shaft 24: and adjacent the crank 25 is a ratchet 26 with which .00- acts a pawl 27 for holding the shaft 24:

against retrograde movement. When it is desired to position the conveyer .6. at the forward end portion of the rack H in order to facilitate the loading of the rear portion .of the rack it is only necessary to impart requisite rotation to the. crank 25. I I

Depending from the rear end portion of each of the side boards 3.is an extension 28 having operatively engaged therewith as at 29 the flexible member 30 disposed from an idle pulley 31 rotatably supported by the rear portion of the rack H and engaged with a drum 32 fixed to the transverse shaft 33 rotatably supported by the rear portion of the rack H at a predetermined point below ,the pulley 31. The end portion of the shaft 33 remote from the side of the rack provided with a footboard B extends exteriorly of the rack and is provided with an. operating crank 3%. The extended portion of the shaft 33 has also fixed theretothe ratchet 35 with which, co-acts the pawl 36 to hold said shaft 33 against retrograde movement. When it is desired to return the conveyer 6 to the rear .end portion ofthe rack H the pawl 27 is disengaged from the ratchet26- and desired rotation imparted to the shaft 33 underthe influence of the crank 34. When the conveyer 6 reaches the limit slidably modification without materially departing from the principle and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to the precise arrang'ement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed. I

a mxn ,5 1, In combination with a container pro- .vided. with paralleltrackways atthe upper portions of. the sides thereof, side boards slidabiy engaged with said trackways,shafts rotatably supportedby the side boards a djacent the opposite endsthereof, theshaft of one of the drums extending beyond the side of the container, drums fixed to the shafts, an endless conveyer disposedaround the drums, means forimparting movement to the side boards, longitudinally of the trackways in either direction, and adriven member carried by a side of the container adjacent an end thereof, said drivenmember operatively engaging the extended portion of theshaft when the side boards are atthe limit of their. movement in one direction.

' 2. In combination with a container provided with parallel trackways at-theupper portions of. the sides thereof, side boards engaged with} said trackways,

drums rotatably supported by the side.

boards adjacent the opposite ends thereof, an endless conveyer, disposed around the drum, means forimparting movement to the sideboards longitudinally of the trackways in eitherdirection, a. driving means operatively engaged with one of the drums .when

the-side boards are t the limit of, their movement in one direction, anda second conveyer carried by the container anddisp'osed upwardly and inwardly on a predetermined I incline, said second conveyer discharging upon the conveyer when said conveyer is =op eratively engaged with the driving means,

3. In combination with a oontainer provided with parallel trackways at the upper portions of the sides thereof side boards slidably. engaged with said trackways, drums rotatably supported by the side boards adjacent the opposite ends thereof,

an. endless conveyer disposed around the.

drum, means for imparting movement to the side boards longitudinally of the trackways in either direction, a driving means operatively engaged with one of the drums when the side boards are at the limit of their movement in one direction, and a second conveyor carried by the container and disposed upwardly and inwardly on a predetermined incline, said conveyer including a movable member discharging upon the conveyer when said first named conveyer is operatively engaged with the driving means, said movable member of the second conveyer being operatively engaged with the driving means first named for the conveyer irrespective of the position of the side boards.

l. In combination with a container provided with parallel trackways at the upper portions of the sides thereof, side boards slidably engaged with said trackways, corresponding end portion of the side boards being provided with upstanding extensions,

the opposite end portions of the side boards being provided with depending extensions, drums rotatably supported by the side boards adjacent the opposite ends thereof, an endless conveyer disposed around the drum, a winding means carried by one end portion of the container, a flexible connection be- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

